World cricket held its breath when the sight of Gautam Gambhir approaching Virat Kohli during the IPL 2024 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was caught on camera. It was during a timeout on Friday evening at the Chinnaswamy when Gambhir, breaking away from the conversation with the KKR players, walked up to Virat Kohli, who was having water and chatting with his team members, shared a hug and had a small chat as well, throughout which, the RCB star was all smiles.
Virat Kohli continued his sublime form in IPL 2024 as he followed up his fiery knock off 77 runs from 49 balls against Punjab Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last week with another aggressive half-century knock, this time against Kolkata Knight Riders at home.
Virat Kohli continues his dominance over KKR
Virat Kohli continued his sublime form in IPL 2024 as he followed up his fiery knock off 77 runs from 49 balls against Punjab Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last week with another aggressive half-century knock, this time against Kolkata Knight Riders at home. Virat Kohli single-handedly led the charge for RCB with an onslaught against KKR as the act left Kolkata mentor Gambhir helplessly looking on at the proceedings in the match.
Put to bat first at home, RCB lost their skipper Faf du Plessis early in the match, with KKR fast bowler Harshit Rana deceiving the opener with a slower delivery. Virat Kohli then combined with Cameron Green in a 65-run stand for the second wicket before being ably assisted by Glenn Maxwell in a 42-run stand. En route to the second big partnership, Kohli reached his half-century knock in 36 balls, laced with two boundaries and three huge sixes. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 83 off 59 as RCB posted a total of 182 for six in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli – Gautam Gambhir rivalry in IPL
RCB vs KKR at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. That’s how it all started in 2008, when Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 launched the IPL with a dream start. Over the years, the two teams have been involved in some of the iconic, and ugliest, moments in the tournament’s history.
In 2013, it was an evening of altercations in Bengaluru. It started with Gautam Gambhir having a verbal exchange with Moises Henriques after the two collided as Gambhir was going for a quick single. Later in the game, Gambhir and Virat Kohli had a go at each other, and had to be physically separated by a third Delhi boy, Rajat Bhatia.
Three years later, at the same venue, Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell gave KKR a come-from-behind win, and Gambhir showed his emotions by kicking a chair in the dugout, an act for which he was fined 15% of his match fee.
The Kohli-Gambhir rivalry was re-ignited last season when RCB faced Lucknow Super Giants, who had Gambhir as their mentor. This year, Gambhir is back with KKR in the same role. In between, there was a 49 all out, Russell doing Russell things, and Kuldeep Yadav being left “feeling totally hopeless”. Some of those protagonists will be in action on Friday as well, so be ready for another turbocharged game.
Things got a little heated when Kohli met Gambhir last time in the Indian Premier League 2024. Will the duo avoid each other or will they clash once again? This certainly will be one of the most awaited moments in the IPL this season.
Virat Kohli – Gautam Gambhir hug changes the reactions of fans and sends commentators into frenzy
It was during a timeout on Friday evening at the Chinnaswamy when Gambhir, breaking away from the conversation with the KKR players, walked up to Virat Kohli, who was having water and chatting with his team members, shared a hug and had a small chat as well, throughout which, the RCB star was all smiles.
This was the first time Kohli and Gambhir shared a frame since that ugly spat in Lucknow last year. Kohli had an on-field quarrel with LSG’s Naveen-ul-Haq which led to the umpires intervening. The two later shared an intense handshake at the end of the game. Moments later, Kohli and Gambhir were seen charging at each other as an ugly scene broke out at the venue before the players from the respective sides stepped up to separate the two. All three were charged severely by BCCI for breach of conduct.
The moment was all over social media as fans went into overdrive watching and re-watching it. The broadcasters too played that clip many times throughout the match, and during one of those replays, Shastri reacted on air saying: “Fairplay award to KKR for this hug between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.” Gavaskar, who was with him in the commentary box, responded to it adding:
“Not only a fairplay award, but also an Oscar award.”
Virat Kohli scored yet another half-century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2024, but his team ended on the losing side against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. RCB now have two losses in three games and the start to the IPL 2024 has been timid to say the least. RCB are one of the four sides which are yet to win the IPL. Every year, RCB fans hope for a different story to happen. But what occurs, is the complete opposite.
Despite being one of the most star-studded sides, RCB have under-achieved. On Friday, Kohli top-scored with an unbeaten 83 of 59 deliveries. None of the other RCB batters could even touch 35. RCB scored 182/6 in 20 overs but KKR reached the target in just 16.5 overs.
Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar blasted the RCB batters after the loss.
“You tell me how much Kohli will do alone – someone should accompany him, If someone had supported him today, he would definitely have scored 120 instead of 83, so this is team sport not a single man game, he didn’t get any support today,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium once again witnessed Kohli’s remarkable art with the bat as he cruised to 83* in mere 59 deliveries which was glistened with four boundaries and four sixes. His four sixes in the unbeaten knock saw him go past former Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni’s tally of sixes in IPL.
The iconic RCB batter has 241 sixes under his belt and became the fourth highest batter to score most maximums in the history of the event. MS Dhoni slipped to the fifth spot with 239 sixes in his kitty. As cricket fans relished Kohli’s effortless batting display, Kohli has now the most sixes for RCB in the IPL history.
He surpassed RCB Hall of Fame star Chris Gayle’s tally of 239 sixes. Another RCB Hall of Famer AB de Villiers is on the third spot with 238 sixes to his name.
Overall, with whooping 357 maximums, Gayle holds the record for scoring most number of sixes in the IPL. Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma holds the second spot with 261 sixes while, de Villiers is on the third spot with a tally of 251 in the IPL. Coming to the match, Shreyas Iyer won the toss and put the hosts to bat. Virat Kohli, with beliigence struck 83* off just 59 deliveries, which was laced with four boundaries and four maximums.
Kohli completed his 50 in the 11th over as he took a single on the bowling of Varun Chakravarthy. In the same over the Bengaluru franchise crossed the 100-run mark as Maxwell smashed a boundary on the penultimate ball of the over. His effortless knock made him the orange cap holder for the current season and propelled RCB to 182/6.
Though RCB failing to win matches Virat Kohli reclaims the orange cap with 181 runs in 3 matches.